1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to apparatus, systems, and methods for the subterranean support of underground pipes and/or conduits. Specifically, the present invention relates to apparatus, systems and methods for supporting pipes or conduits using support members directly contacting the pipes or conduits, but, preferably, maintaining electrical isolation therefrom.
2. Description of the Related Art
Particularly in urban environments, when it is necessary to lay water or sewer pipe, construction crews will often encounter buried electrical, telephone, and/or fiber optic cables. These cables are typically encased in a conduit structure, such as a clay tile or raceway that has a plurality of longitudinal holes through which the cables are pulled. In order to create a unitary subterranean support structure for the cables, individual raceway sections are placed end-to-end and mortared together. In order to lay another conduit, such as water or sewer pipes that must be buried below the freeze line, it is necessary to excavate beneath the raceway and the cables contained therein. When excavation occurs beneath the raceway, the raceway must be supported to prevent the raceway from collapsing into the excavated hole.
Currently, in order to support the raceway during and after excavation, the individual raceway tiles are jack hammered, causing the raceway tiles to break apart and expose the cables positioned therein. The exposed cables are then supported by one or more beams extending above the excavated hole. Once the water or sewer pipe is laid, the hole is backfilled and a concrete form is built around the cables. The form is filled with concrete and the concrete is allowed to harden. As a result, the cables are encased within the concrete and are protected from future damage. While this process is effective, it is also time consuming and expensive. Additionally, once the cables are encased in concrete, it is no longer possible to pull new cables through the raceway or to easily extract existing cables from the raceway.
Moreover, it is often necessary to excavate around pipes that may carry fluids, gases, and other like material. For example, transportation of fuel may be accomplished through subterranean pipes. The transport of hazardous materials, such as flammable, ignitable, acidic or caustic, or other like materials, may make it difficult to excavate therearound and maintain safety. For example, if pipes carry a highly ignitable material, such as fuel, it may be difficult to excavate in and around the pipes and maintain safety thereof. To do so typically requires shutting off the flow of the material and completely removing the pipes to ensure that the excavation occurs safely. This may, of course, cause a disruption in the flow of the materials, which may be needed. Therefore, shutting down the flow of the materials may be particularly difficult or costly.
To excavate around pipes without removal thereof typically may be unsafe if the pipes are exposed to conditions that may burst the pipe and/or ignite the material therein. In many cases, the pipes utilized for the flow of gases, fuels and other flammable and/or ignitable materials may be made of metal for strength and durability. However, metal is known to conduct electricity, thereby allowing the passage of electrical energy into the materials flowing therein. When excavating, it is typical to use heavy machinery and the like, and electrical discharge from the machinery may cause problems.